Escaping Reality

Chapter 7: Penthouse Pad

"AHHHHHHHHHHH"

I screamed out, like a starving caveman stumbling upon an easy prey. This is what pure joy must feel like I thought to myself as I did 110 down the interstate, not a care in the world.

Before I got to the hotel I had to make a stop at a 711 and snagged a 52-ounce slushie, suicide flavor of course. This was Florida, I had heard they do everything a little bit differently here. Slushie in hand, straw in mouth I got by into the Porsche feeling like a million bucks.

As I pulled up to the luxurious five-star hotel the valet boy's eyes were visibly popping out of their sockets. Understandable, a highschooler pulling up in a Porshe mid-afternoon was probably a curious sight. I got out careful to not spill my slushie, grabbed my bag, and flipped him the keys like how I had seen in the movies.

"Take good care of it" I ordered as I strutted away, quickly realizing I had become that guy in a matter of an hour or two. The twinge of guilt quickly evaporated as I stepped into the sprawling hotel lobby.

Wait, had I really just said that I asked myself again, backtracking. I rushed back to him and apologized for sounding so snobby, handed him a twenty, and told him to take the car out for a quick spin before parking it.

The desk attendant locked eyes with me as I re-entered the lobby, offering me a warm smile. She didn't break her gaze until I approached the desk where she extended a kind greeting and a warm cookie. She offered early check-in, a personal room escort, and a grand tour. I took one more long look at the foyer and wondered what my room had in store if the hotel entrance was this elegant and decorated.

My curiosity rose with the elevator and when we finally reached the top floor I was taken aback. The room looked like something out of the movies. Tall spanning windows gave a bending view of the city. Ultra-modern furniture and amenities filled the space. A full kitchen with an island and bar sat tucked away in the corner. A fireplace and a huge flat-screen TV made up the living room area. Even the simple things like the remote control blinds or "party" mode lights blew me away. The room was painted and furnished in a very modern manner. There was a ton of light coming in and everything was white, off-white, or cream. A few accent items like pillows, curtains, and rugs provided splashes of color that lit up the entire room. It looked like it was straight out of an interior designer's Pinterest page.

I threw my bag in my room and rushed outside to check out the rooftop pool. Imagine a nice pool, pretty sizable, and well maintained. Then raise it 20 stories into the sky. The pool instantly becomes considerably cooler. There was plenty of patio space around the pool for lounging and extracurricular activities. Okay, this is going to work I thought to myself. The pictures online had done this place justice, it was exactly as advertised.

My stomach was telling me this was about to be one of the best nights of my life. I opened up my suitcase and pulled out the flyers I had printed ahead of time. I had only ever been to mediocre high school house parties and wanted tonight to be more similar to celebrity rooftop after parties. The flyers showcased the luxurious hotel suite and rooftop pool. Below the flattering pictures was a line of text that stated the time and place of the party. Additionally, I had advertised that drinks were provided, hoping that would get a few extra people through the door

After a quick outfit change and an excessive amount of time in front of the mirror, I was ready. It was a quarter past two and I still had a lot of work to do before the night could officially begin. Flyers in hand, I headed back down to the lobby, a mixture of excitement and nervousness swirling around my insides.